This study is an effort to look at the roots and dimensions
of Christian missions to Sudan, and their impact, in the
period 1843-1986. It hopes to throw some light on many
problem areas, such as:
1. The role of Mission in the field of education, culture
and social services, especially in Southern Sudan and other

under-developed areas. Certain areas of Sudan were depen-
dent on such services for a long time. The role of Mission

needs to be studied in order to determine its feasibility and
usefulness.
2. The effect and significance of the pre-independence
National Movement-Mission conflict, and its far-reaching
consequences. This conflict still casts its shadow on the
State-Mission relationship and on the community.
3. Mission and secular discourse extremism. For the last
thirty years (since 1955) Sudan has witnessed a militant brand
of secular discourse extremism. It became the norm for such
discourse to express itself by raising arms, involvement in
guerrilla activities against the right of Islamic culture to exist
in the South and to dominate in the North. Many Church
organizations and associations embraced the heralds of such
discourse, introduced them to the world and blessed their
activities.
This study comprises six chapters. The first and second
deal with the entry of Christianity into Africa in four
historical phases: the first being the diffusion of Christianity
after the raising of Jesus by his Lord unto Himself. The
Coptic Orthodox Church was born and flourished in Egypt,
followed by the Christian diffusion in North Africa, Ethiopia
and the Nuba Christian Kingdoms. The second phase was
ushered in by the Crusade Campaign that struggled in vain

to impose European Christianity on Egypt and North Africa.
The Crusade was in essence a trial-run of expansionism and
cultural domination of the Muslim world, and not simply
aimed at capturing al-Quds, 'Jerusalem'. The third phase
coincided with the era of geographical 'discoveries' and
Portuguese expansionism on the eastern and south-eastern
coast of Africa. The fourth phase, the contemporary one,
started in the era of the Africa-Scramble and still casts its
shadow on present-day Africa. The Church carne either
under the protection of the occupying armies or before them
in order to pave the way by taming the indigenous population
and planting the love of Western superiority in their hearts.
In modern Sudan, Christian diffusion consists of two
phases. In phase one, between 1843 and 1881, the pioneers
were Catholic. The Christian venture flourished under the
banner of the secular Turkish elite government. This period

was distinguished for its difficulties of terrain and environ-
mental hardships among hostile tribes, difficulties further

complicated by cultural and language barriers; scores of
missionaries died in the unexplored Sudanese territory while
trying to plant the Cross.

The Christian contact contributed positively to the out-
break of Islamic Jihad, of the Mahdiyya, when mission

stations were demolished and the European missionaries
who tried to resist the Mahdiyya arrested. The Catholics,
who established the Sudan Church in exile, collaborated with
other European Churches and powers to distort the
Mahdiyya image, mobilize international public opinion
against it and participated in the campaign which led to the
destruction of the Mahdiyya Islamic state.